24 June, 2010

People are People

This post is a way to find a reason for the internal conflicts that I am having, and hence there are chances that there might be statements and points that contradict each other. The post is about me trying to understand that people are people and not business contacts. At least that's the way I see it or better put, have so far been seeing it.

Over the past few months, I have been involved in running my own design startup. Now I do not need to reiterate that, that is a challenging job. However I do need to re-iterate that its a monumental task when you try to run a business by comprising on values that define you as a person.

Perhaps this is the situation that I am in and is becoming a part of my biggest internal conflict. When I interact with people, I deal with them as people. Over time, when I tried to develop the acumen towards business, I guess I started to compromise on that value that defined me. There are numerous outcomes of this. One of the prime things being that I started to see business in everything.

Any small favor that was earlier done in the goodwill of things, was now viewed upon as a business interaction. (I do not mean to contradict this with one of my earlier posts regarding charging for an effort spend on a task. That still holds true.)

In this process, I lost a few very good friends. Friends with whom I had shared a lot of great moments and they were there always in a position to help me out when I needed help. The interesting part is that these friends were the ones who got us the initial few projects.

The other day, I was talking to another college senior of mine, whom I have admired for what he is. One of the things that he mentioned is that there are two ways of running a company. One is a boutique style and the other is the corporate style.

Presently we are in the boutique style (let us call this a) of running the company, and have dreams to become a corporate style (let us call this b). Now this transition from a to b would require us to compromise on a few things. And one of those things is that having to deal with people only as business contacts. And as another entrepreneur friend of mine would say, in business there is no value for a person. It's all about the money. Somehow I do not buy that and I refuse to believe it. I have read and heard about a lot of entrepreneurs who build a team of people they value and not of businessmen. Only when I have a team of people I trust and have full confidence in, I can strive towards building the business.

Coming to the internal conflict, I feel that this is the whole tussle that is happening within me. The other partners see people as a business contact. For me however, the way I interact with people, I first try to understand them as people, or better put, as Humans. This understanding I owe to my graduate school education in Human Computer Interaction Design, wherein the most emphasis was put on the Human part. I think that was one of the most valuable things that I learnt there.

I cannot see people as business contacts first and then as people. For me business comes only later on. I cannot sacrifice so many friends and acquaintances on the pretext of getting business. It's just not me. I think the basic premise on which people should lead their lives is with the notion of help. Even if you are working with a client, you are actually helping him/her solve a problem. We strive towards making them smile. Towards making their lives easy and hence help out in bringing about some more happiness. Isn't that how things should be?

Money will flow. That is not a concern for me ever. If I was after money, I would be leading a totally different life. I have always believed in that, however sometimes (like now) I have to rewrite that.

Conflicts are not uncommon. It's something that everyone has at some point of time. However how we get out of that conflict is important. And one has to come out of it, no matter what. If not, then things get hampered. A lot of the things that you had planned to do appear a far fetched dream.

4 comments:

jyoti
said...

indians have a very poor understanding of boundaries....

if they are ''real'' friends...they will have respect for your time and effort and want to compensate you for your effort....if they don't and end a relationship with you then they are just that...business associates...and those come and go....

on the other hand.....

a corporation...has big accounts for entertainment and sundry services....so they can dole out favors.....to business associates....who bring in business....so you can look at the favours you do as such...without the expenses of expensive diwali gifts and freebies...and all that...

business is not a bad word.....neither is money...

a man labours 2 hours makes a hole in the ground for you....you pay him 50rs for the energy he spent for you....money is therefore concretized energy.....

if you do some one a favor, and there is no financial renumeration ...you can mentally direct that good will energy generated....towards enhancing your business.....it is to some extent like putting money back into the business...

to grow and prosper a business needs as much good will as it does money....you can have pots full of cash and a failed business...

and for all this you need a clear vision, a good heart and a sharp mind to evaluate, and a keen inner ear to listen to your higher self guide you...and not your lower nature i.e. fear and insecurities.....

all the best....look forward to seeing you grow....in more ways than one..:))

Your personal values and influences on your business is what will set you apart from other businesses.The conflicts will resolve, once you know what they are and you're already on track.My best wishes are with you and like Jyoti said, look forward to seeing you grow in every sense of the word.

About Me

IIT Alumnus, Indiana University Alumnus.
Designer/Photographer. Presently working as Program Director and Head of Operations (India) with Lecole de Design Nantes Atlantique.
Often a freelance User Experience Design and Research Consultant, a freelance Photographer, an ardent traveler and documentary film maker.
I mainly click people, portraits and nature.
As a visiting faculty, I teach Photography and Design at a few colleges in India and conduct workshops at different places.
www.kshitizanand.com